


I Always Thought I Might be Bad

by gingayellow



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 16:28:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7230016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingayellow/pseuds/gingayellow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shiro will do anything to protect his team, even if they might agree with him that he's a monster afterwards. [Gen, Shiro/Keith implied. Content warning for past trauma and some violence]</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Always Thought I Might be Bad

**Author's Note:**

> First off, again, here's a blanket thank you for any kind words/comments on previous fic. ^^ I'm not the most social person on the planet, but wow, it's good to know people are liking what I write. Thank you so much!
> 
> Spoilers for up to episode 9. Title is from the (extended) end theme for Steven Universe, of course. A lot of the lyrics in the song (I always I thought I might be bad / Now I'm sure that it's true) reminds me a lot of Shiro's self-loathing issues, and shaped how this story was written.

Title: I Always Thought I Might be Bad  
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender  
Characters/Pairing: Gen, Shiro/Keith implied  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: Mentions past trauma, some violence  
Notes: Spoilers for up to episode 9. Title is from the end theme for Steven Universe, of course.

The fight was not going well.

Keith was unconscious, but there was no way to reach him. Pidge was doing her best to cut through, but the robot guards just kept coming—it was taking all her skill and wits just to stay alive. A few feet away, Hunk and Lance were trying to deal with yet more guards.

Shiro did some mental calculations. If he could make his way to Lance and Hunk and help them, then Hunk could reach Pidge, and—

The robot guard struck him brutally on his right temple. It was only because he was wearing a helmet that he didn’t pass out.

_Unwise choice, Shiro._ Even if he was awake, he had been knocked down, and was more than a little dizzy. He rolled to avoid the last hit, but he couldn’t just keep evading like this, if he did they would—

“Hurry up and take out the Black Paladin,” the Galra commander (someone so cowardly he stayed on the ship during the entire fight) said over the robot’s comm unit. “After that, it’ll be easy to capture the others.”

No.

**_No._ **

He forced himself up, because that was the only way he could save his team, his right arm flaring bright purple while grabbing the robot guard’s shoulder with his left hand.

He punched through the robot’s chest. One down.

He heard someone screaming (maybe him?) as he charged to the two guards attacking Lance and Hunk. Punch. Duck. Punch. Dodge. **Punch.** Three down. Six more to go.

The guards attacking Pidge and Keith would take more time, simply because there were more of them. But he had faced more than this before, day after day, until destroying was like breathing.

The sixth guard fell, but it wasn’t over. He had to make sure they would be safe.

He made his way to the comm unit the first guard had, snatching it from still twitching metal fingers. “If you **ever** try to hurt my team again, you will **not** live to regret it.” Then he destroyed the comm unit with his right hand before the commander could respond.

Then, suddenly, he was back in reality. A reality were everyone was staring at him.

(And why wouldn’t they? They knew he was a monster now.)

All strength gone, Shiro fell to his knees. There was nothing to do now but wait for them to reject him.

“Shiro?”

Of course Hunk would be first. He had always been more sensitive than anyone else; more upset by the violence that came with being a Paladin. And after what Shiro had done, of course he would hate him now.

“A-are you okay, Hunk? You’re wounded.” He couldn’t look at him, but he would try to be professional.

“Ya mean my arm? It’s just a scratch.” Hunk…laughed? After what he just saw? “I’m worried about you.”

“…Me?”

“Yeah, you kinda sorta busted a bunch of robots to save our lives. Here, let’s get you up. Lean on me.” Shiro had to do just that (he was so **tired** ) as Hunk helped him up.

“Hunk.” He hated how small his voice sounded, but he had to know. “You weren’t scared of me?”

Hunk’s jaw dropped. “Of you? No way! Shiro, you’re, like, the best guy I know.”

“Yeah.” Lance was there now, nudging his shoulder very gently. “Do you think any of us are going to be upset because you saved our lives?”

“I… I just…” Shiro had always prided himself for keeping it together in front of his team, no matter what. But right now? He just clung to Hunk and let relief wash over him.

“Yeah, Shiro. We all…ugh.” Pidge was trying to pick up Keith, who at least now was semi-conscious. “We all trust you completely, and—nergh!” She huffed. “Lance, a little help?!”

“Oh, sorry buddy.” Lance jogged over so he could help Pidge with their remaining teammate. Shiro began to move, but then the old doubt came back. Keith knew him better than anyone, but he also hadn’t seen this part of Shiro just yet.

“There we go, nice and easy,” Lance murmured as he and Pidge helped Keith to his feet.

“Wha… what just happened?” Keith glared at Lance, then Pidge.

“You got conked on the noggin by a grunt,” Pidge offered. “But it’s okay, Shiro saved us.”

“Shiro… he…” Keith looked at Shiro, eyes huge, and Shiro knew that Keith had seen at least part of the fight.

Shiro took a deep breath. “Keith, I know that—”

Suddenly, Keith was hugging him. In front of everyone. That had never happened before.

And Lance was saying something about a group hug, and to Shiro’s astonishment, Keith didn’t object to that.

“Are you going to be okay?” Keith’s voice was quiet, in case Shiro needed to whisper as well. If there was something he didn’t want anyone else to know.

“I’m as well as can be expected after a battle,” Shiro admitted, patting Keith’s back with his right hand. “But my friends are safe.” And after this moment, he would never doubt their friendship again.


End file.
